Island



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Shet 2.

'G. ,W. STAFFORD.

LOOM.

o. 562,344. "Patented June 16, i896.

QFI'NEEEE'S- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE XV. STAFFORD, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE KNOWLES LOOM WORKS, OF YVOROESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

LOOM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 562,344, dated June 16, 1896..

, Application filed October l1 1893.

, a citizen of the United States, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Looms, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The invention has reference particularly to looms containing shifting or change shuttleboxes and fancy shedding mechanism. In a loom having these features there are employed, usually, one set of pattern devices pertaining to the box-motion and determining the movements of the shuttle-boxes, and another set of pattern devices pertaining to the movements of the harness-frames. Each of such sets of pattern devices has its pattern barrel or cylinder, to which latter is communicated an intermittent or step-by-step movementof rotation, as is well known, the advance of the pattern-cylinder of the box-motion occurring a little after that of the pattern-cylinder for the shedding mechanism. It usually is the case that each of the said pattern-cylinders has a set of actuating devices which is separate from that for the other thereof, this being necessitated by the fact above indicated that the timing of the movements of the pattern-cylinders is such that the latter are not advanced simultaneously but successively. Usually,also, the said actuatin g devices are not positive in their engagement with the pattern-cylinders, but move the same through pawls and ratchets. This arrangement is objectionable in various respects, among which is the frequency with which the pattern-chains passing around the two pattern-cylinders become disarranged relatively to each other, after the patterncylinders have been turned in either direction by hand. For example, ordinarily in working the loom by hand, as when finding a mispick, the pattern-cylinders have to be separately turned backward by hand, and this is likely to result in the disarrangement aforesaid.

My invention has for itsobject to provide in simplified and improved manner for comtion. vation viewed from the left-hand side in Fig. '1, certain parts which are visible in Fig. 1

$eria1No.437,831. .(No model.)

municating to the two pattern cylinders aforesaid the necessary movements at the proper times in the working of a loom, and with the required difference of time in order of actuation, and whereby disarrangement of the two pattern-chains relatively to each other shall be practically rendered impossible.

It consists in a novel combination and ar rangement of devices wherein the said'pattern-cylinders are both actuated in either direction in a positive manner by a single shaft, which is driven from one of the shafts of the loom, all as will now first be described fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, and afterward particularly pointed out and distinctly defined in the claims. at the close of this specification. shedding mechanism and determining the 1 I11 the drawings, Figure 1 is a viewin front {elevation of part of a loom having m y invention applied thereto, enough of the loom being shown to render clear the connection and relations of the devices embodying the inven- Fig. 2 is a view of the same in side elebeing omitted from Fig. 2, because unnecessary'to be shown in the latter. Figs. 3 4, and 5 are detail views of parts which are involved in the invention.

At 1. in the drawings is shown part of the framing of a loom. At 2 is shown the framing of the shedding mechanism, it pertaining to a shedding mechanism of that kind which is known as a dobby. At 3 is shown the crank-shaft of the loom, at 4 the pattern barrel or cylinder of the shedding mechanism, and at 5 the pattern-barrel or pattern-cylinder of the box-motion. All of these parts are or may be as common in the construction of looms.

For the purpose of rotating intermittingly both pattern cylinders, I provide an upwardly-extending shaft 6, the same occupying usually the inclined position which is represented in Fig. 1, it actuating the respective pattern-cylinders through pin wheels and star-wheels, and being geared to one of the shafts of the loom, by which shaft it is driven. Thus at 7 is a bevel-gear that is secured on the crank-shaft 3 of the loom, and at 8 is a second bevel-gear that is secured 011 the lower IOO end of the inclined shaft (3, it being in engagement with the bevel-gear 7, and the shaft 6 thereby being driven from the shaft 3.

At 9 and 10 are pin-wheels which are fixed on the upper portion of the inclined shaft 6, the said pin-wheels, respectively, being arranged to engage the crown-shaped starwheels 11 and 12, which latter, respectively, are fixed on the shafts 13 and 14, respectively, of the pattern-cylinders 4c and 5. Thereby, as the crank-shaft rotates, the upwardly-extending inclined shaft 6 is rotated also, and the pattern-cylinders are intermittingly advanced upon their individual axes. Inasmuch as the pattern-cylinder 5 of the boxmotion should receive movement somewhat after movement is communicated to the pattern-cylinder l of the shedding mechanism, the pin-wheel 10 is set on shaft 6, so as to reach and engage the star-wheel 12 after pinwheel 9 reaches and engages star-wheel 11. This arrangement is clearly shown in the drawings. The pin-wheels and crown-shaped star-wheels which are shown in the drawings, and which I prefer to employ, differ from the pin-wheels and star-wheels that usually are employed in that they are not constructed to interlock in a manner to prevent rotation of the star-wheels while the pins of the pinwheels are absent from the slots of the starwheels. Usually, the said wheels are constructed thus to interlock. Therefore, for the purpose of preventing the pattern-cylinders from overrunning after having been turned by the action of the pins of the pin-wheels in slots of the star-wheels, and also in order to hold each pattern-cylinderin the right position while stationary, I provide checking devices which are arranged to coact with the respective pattern-cylinders. These checking devices consist of a disk or wheel 14:1, fixed on the shaft of each pattern-cylinder and having a notched periphery, a cooperating arm or lever 15, which is pivoted to a convenient portion of the fixed framework, as shown, and which has a portion thereof shaped to enter and fit the notches of the said disk or wheel, and a spring 16, having one end thereof connec ed to a fixed point on the framing and the other to the arm or lever 15, the said spring operating to press the arm or lever against the periphery of the disk or wheel.

The checking devices for the pattern-cylinder of the shedding mechanism are shown best in Fig. 1 of the drawings. Those for the pattern-cylinder of the box-motion are shown separately in Fig. 5. Preferably, the portion (51 of the inclined shaft 6 on which the pin-wheels 9 and 10 are fixed is separated from the lower portion 02 thereof, on which the bevel-gear 8 is fixed, (see Figs. 3 and 4a,) the two portions 61 and 62 of the said shaft 6 being coupled together normally by means of a clutch 17, the lower member of which is fixed to the lower portion 62 of the shaft, while the upper member thereof is arranged to be slid up'and down 011 the upper portion 61 of said shaft by means of a rock-shaft such as that shown at 18 in the drawings. 011 the upper portion 61 of the shaft 6 is fixed a hand-wheel 19, by means of which to rotate the said upper portion 61, after it has been uncoupled or unclutched from the lower portion 62, and when it is desired to move the two pattern-cylinders either backwardly or forwardly in unison without at the same time operating other parts of the loom.

The foregoing devices for operating the two pattern-cylinders are simple and convenient. They operate both thereof positively in proper harmony and unison, and also with the desired relative timing in the movements communicated thereto. Should the loom be worked backwardly by hand more than one pick, as frequently is the case, the said devices rotate the two patterncylinders reversely to a corresponding extent in a positive manner, thus carrying backwardly the pattern-chains which pass around the pattern-cylinders. In the case of devices 0011- taining pawls for turning the pattern-cylinders, the latter must be turned backwardly by hand when the loom is reversed. In consequence of having both of the pin-wheels fixed on a single shaft, the two pattern-cylinders cannot become relatively disarranged while the loom is being reversed, or while the said pattern-cylinders are being moved or adjusted in either direction by hand. A particular advantage of my devices is the fact that when the pins of the pin-wheels are out of the slots in the corresponding starwheels, which is the case when the lathe of the loom is in its back position, each pattern cylinder is free to be turned independently by hand in either direction to any extent desired. The checking devices not only prevent overrunning, but they operate at all times to insure proper positions of the pattern-cylinders after the completion of movements thereof in either direction, and thus protect against the breakage which would result if a slot of either star-wheel were not presented in position to be entered by the pin of the corresponding pin-wheel when the latter is rotated in the regular running of the loom. The said checking devices thus perform an important function in connection with the pin-wheels and star-wheels described, for, as hereinbefore set forth, the latter are without the locking arrangements with which similar wheels generally are provided, and were it not for the checking devices the pattern-cylinders and connected star-wheels might accidentally assume positions which would prevent the pins from on tering the slots.

1 claim as my invention- The combination with the pattern cylinder of the shedding mechanism, a star-wheel connected therewith, the pattern-cylinder of the box-motion, and a star-wheel connected thereof the said upwardly-extending shaft, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature 7 in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE WV. STAFFORD.

Witnesses:

MILAN F. STEVENS, CHAS. F. RANDALL. 

